Tier 2 backlinks explained: What they are and how to use them

Tier-2 links and link building have become increasingly relevant in the world of SEO. But what exactly are they? And should you consider working with them?

This article will help clarify the concept.

Tier-what-now?

“Tier” refers to the level or layer of a link. A regular backlink pointing directly to your website is considered a tier-1 link. A link pointing to the page that links to you is a tier-2 link.

So when you’re doing tier-2 link building, you’re essentially building links to the pages that already link to your site.

But why do it at all?

The idea is to strengthen your incoming links by giving them links of their own.

It also means you can take a few more risks in your link building—for example, by using PBNs (private blog networks) to link to your backlinks. That way, if Google were to penalize the link source, it wouldn’t directly affect your own website.

This isn’t to say you should overuse this tactic, but it’s important to understand the strategy behind it.

The core idea behind tier-2 link building

When it comes to link building, things can sometimes slide into “black hat” territory (against Google’s guidelines), especially if you’re using your own network of blogs.

But the essence of tier-2 link building is about making your existing backlink profile stronger—rather than simply chasing more backlinks.

It’s a great way to boost your SEO if you feel like you’ve run out of opportunities to get more direct backlinks to your website.